Human thoracic anatomy relevant to implantable artificial hearts

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Anatomy
• Medical Device Design

Background:

• Designing cardiac prostheses requires precise anatomical data.
• Existing models may not capture sufficient statistical variability for diverse patient populations.
• Understanding human thorax dimensions is crucial for total artificial heart (TAH) and assist device development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantitatively define human thorax anatomy for cardiac prosthesis design.
• To create an integrated, statistical anatomical model of the thorax.
• To provide data relevant for total artificial heart implantation.

Main Methods:

• Developed methods for an integrated, statistical model of thoracic anatomy.
• Defined anatomy in four key areas: chest wall, pericardium, vascular connections, and great vessels.
• Acquired measurements from diverse patient sources, including normal and diseased individuals.

Main Results:

• Generated 3D scale views of the human thorax highlighting features for cardiac prosthesis implantation.
• Included statistical variability data for key anatomical parameters.
• Demonstrated successful fit of the ERDA total artificial heart to the 50th percentile adult male thorax.

Conclusions:

• The developed statistical model provides essential anatomical data for cardiac prosthesis designers.
• The ERDA total artificial heart demonstrates compatibility with average adult male thoracic dimensions.
• This research facilitates the advancement of total artificial heart and cardiac assist device technologies.